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EPA, DEC REMIND VERMONT TANK OWNERS OF UPCOMING DEADLINE

Release Date: 01/14/1998
Contact Information: Leo Kay, Press Office, (617) 918-4154

BOSTON - The New England office of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation are reminding owners and operators of underground storage tanks across the state that they now have half a year left until the June 30 deadline to upgrade, replace, or properly close their underground storage tanks.

The greatest potential hazard from leaking underground storage tanks is that the petroleum or hazardous substances can contaminate groundwater, the source of drinking water for nearly half of all Americans. States have reported that underground tanks are the most common source of groundwater contamination and that petroleum is the most common contaminant. Leaking underground tanks can present other health and environmental risks, including the potential for fire and explosion.

Of the 165 new sites discovered in Vermont in 1997 alone, one site affected a public water supply with 25 users, three sites contaminated numerous private water supplies affecting 27 people, and six sites had indoor air impacts from petroleum vapors -- some of these at explosive levels -- affecting 54 people. At least seven sites had a direct impact on surface waters.

"This is the time of year for making resolutions, so hopefully Vermont tank owners will make a pledge to 'yank their unsafe tanks,'" said John P. DeVillars, administrator of the EPA's New England office. "For those who think 'out of sight, out of mind,' think again. If you still have substandard tanks by this time next year, you could be facing substantial fines."

"Hundreds of tank owners have removed unsafe underground storage tanks during the past 10 years, and I applaud them for their work," said Barbara G. Ripley, secretary of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources. "As for the tank owners who have had years to get their old tanks out but have chosen not to, we urge them to act now rather than put it off any longer."

As of December 1997, the EPA and DEC documented nearly 1,500 releases of petroleum products into the environment from underground storage tanks in Vermont. Owners and operators in the state have closed 3,577 bare steel tanks over the last ten years. A DEC database shows that about 650 out-of-compliance tanks have yet to be upgraded.

Underground storage tanks that are considered to be in compliance must have as a minimum: 1) Corrosion protection on the tank, 2) non-corrodible piping, 3) catchment basins to contain spills from delivery hoses and 4) overfill protection such as an automatic shutoff device.

Costs to bring a facility into compliance with the 1998 requirements vary widely, depending on the size and nature of a facility, local labor rates, and other factors. As we approach June 1998, these costs could be higher due to increased customer demands for upgrading, replacing, or closing tanks, and finding available contractors to do the work by the deadline may be difficult.

Most underground storage tanks subject to these requirements are used to store gasoline, diesel fuel, or other petroleum products at service stations and vehicle fleet refueling facilities. The tanks used to store certain hazardous chemicals -- usually at industrial facilities -- also are subject to the EPA requirements.

The Vermont Legislature set the deadline more than a decade ago to give tank owners plenty of time to comply with the environmental regulation. Under Vermont regulations adopted in 1987, underground storage tanks that do not meet the new standards must be replaced or upgraded by June 30, 1998. Parallel federal regulations exist, and EPA Administrator Carol M. Browner announced last May that she does not intend to extend the federal deadline. She noted that an extension would reduce the incentive to comply and would not be fair those tank owners who have already followed the rules.

"With what we know about environmental damage resulting from leaking underground tanks, and considering the advanced warning we provided a decade ago, there really is no excuse anymore for not having removed antiquated, potentially dangerous tanks," DeVillars said.

The EPA provides a free 16-page booklet called "Don't Wait Until 1998" that clearly explains these regulatory requirements. The EPA also provides a booklet on "Financing Underground Storage Tank Work: Federal and State Assistance Programs." To order the EPA booklets, call the EPA's Hotline at 1-800-424-9346. In addition, Vermont established a financial assistance program that can provide zero-interest loans to help small retail motor fuel outlets and small municipalities replace their tanks.

For more specific information about underground storage tanks in Vermont, contact Ted Unkles in the UST Program at 802-241-3888.